Ron Sutter: Earning Opponents' Respect In The Crunch Nhl Playoffs

While growing up on a farm in Viking, Alberta, he constantly battled with his five brothers.

Darryl, Brian, Duane and Brent were older and stronger. Thus, they were always a challenge during hockey games on a nearby pond.

And then there was his twin, Rich. At birth, Ron elbowed his way for position to enter the world several minutes before his brother.

"We had a good relationship," Ron recalls now. "We fought over things, but that's natural. If you were going to eat, you had to eat fast.

"My mom and dad always taught us competitiveness. They taught us to work hard. Now, we all support one another."

The sibling competition has paid dividends. All have left marks, scratches and cuts in the National Hockey League.

Brian plays for St. Louis, Darryl is with Chicago while Duane and Brent play for the New York Islanders. Rich, his twin, was traded from Pittsburgh to the Flyerslast season, just to make the pair happy.

"It was the happiest day of my life," Ron said at the time. "It's so great to be together, as we should be."

Nowadays, Ron no longer pesters his brothers. He aims his flailing stick and stiff checks at more formidable opponents.

In the Flyers' 4-1 victory in the Patrick Division finals against the Islanders, Ron covered center Bryan Trottier. He held the Isles' all-time point leader to one goal and no assists.

In the Flyers' 4-2 victory in the Wales Conference finals against Quebec, he shadowed center Peter Stastny. Though the Nordiques' all-time leading scorer had earned 100 points for thefifth consecutive regular season, Ron held him to one goal and three assists.

"Ron Sutter, at age 21, has outplayed every top offensive player the opposition has thrown at us, including Stastny and Trottier," Flyers' Coach Mike Keenan said. "He should receive some strong consideration for the Selke Award to the top defensive forward."

Before that, he'll receive a final assignment. The toughest. When the Stanley Cup finals begin at 7:35 p.m. Tuesday in the Spectrum, little Ronny Sutter will chase Wayne Gretzky.

"Playing against him is a big challenge," Sutter said. "Challenges are something that I've had all year. I think it brings the best out in me."

Ron has scored three goals and six assists in the Flyers' 14 playoff games this season. In the regular season, he had 16 goals and 29 assists. So, scoring isn't the most important part of his game. Like a goalie, he enjoys shutting down offense.

"When you play against the best, it brings out the best in you," he said. "It drives you to work harder and show opponents that they can't outdo you.

"I have a lot of respect for them. But when it comes down to the crunch, I want them to respect me a little."

Gretzky and the Oilers have been forced into the situation. Over the past three seasons, the Flyers are 7-0-1 against Edmonton.

"We know we are capable of beating them," Ron said. "We're not going to get cocky, but we're confident. It will take good, old-fashioned hard work and everyone playing together. But we can do it.

"Gretzky is a great hockey player. The last three or four years, nobody's compared. But you can't single him out. Most of his team is explosive."

Enough of the future. Here he was, sweating in the Flyers' lockerroom in the Spectrum for 30 minutes late Thursday, and he hadn't begun to celebrate his first appearance in the Stanley Cup finals.

But to a Sutter, the celebration does not come until the family's summertime reunion on the farm in Viking.

"I didn't want to let mom and dad down," Ron said. "They'll make that trip west, 80 miles (to Edmonton) for the finals.

"I wouldn't say that my dad hates the Oilers. When we were kids, we used to follow the Alberta Oilers of the old WHA. But when you have six kids playing against them, it's kinda tough."

For Ron and Rich, it's kind of tough to believe they've reached the Cup finals against the Oilers.

"It's a dream that every kid has," Ron said. "Late in the game (Thursday), the guys on bench looked at each other and said, 'Can you believe it?"'